The Escape and Other Stories of 1947 edited by Niaz Zaman @ The University Press Limited 2000The Tale of a Tulsi Plant Syed Waltultah ‘The house stood just past the concrete bridge, which was arched like bow: Itwas a huge, two-storeyed building, rising directly from the ‘Sotpaths were rare in this country, so there had been no need for the graceful gesture of leaving a litle space between the heres ind the front. Behind the house lay a generous expanse of lend First there was the courtyard, then the bathroom and the toilet, and {ally there were trees, almost a jungle of mango, blackberry and ‘ckfruit trees. On the weed-covered ground beneath them, even on’ Sunny day, there lingered the pale gloom of twilight, and’a smell af dampness. With so much land, wh Title pl hhad bloomed only in his make a garden if he ha ies filled with the scent of fowers, there would be ao need for storcs. They would enjoy the Soothing calm of the evening, just sitting there quietly, with they eyes closed,18 The Escape and Other Stories of 147 These thoughts crossed Matin’s Work atthe office, he climbed the sta ‘edge of the street. They had moved into the house wi owner had fied at the threat of thé searching day and aight for a sh city, during the frenzy of the red from the day's started from the very ut a fight. It wasn't that the itary power. They had been ing. soul hhad run away. It did not take fong to recognize ; it was a syoke of luck to get such a place. ‘This sudden good fortune frightened them, but they soon got over their fear. ‘That very evening, they all enthusiasm was that of children storm heralding the guilt rose in anyone's their triumph. When the news spread around the city the next moming, homeless refugees began to pour i came, cluster after cluster, in the hope of securing a roof over The first group bid their own Joking at? There's no room anywhere. The € is covered with beds, Even in this smail room, there are four of them. And now six feet by two feet, and a jn, there won't be enough ‘you see only the bed, but when four ‘couple of chairs and tables are brouy space on the floor to put your feet down /) Haven't we suffered the same way all these days? But unlucky. That's it, just unlucky." inted faces grew derker at these words of con “That room over there?” The room downstairs, near the st 1ed to be empty. ‘was not really empty. Looking carefully, could see, next to the wall, two bedrotls, covered by a carpet. The last place had been The Tale ofa Tulsi Plant 19 house. If he had not had a “Just a matter of luck.” Ag Or if one wanted to seve money...” And, of course, all these words stung like venom in the ears of the uninvited who had come to find a refi The police came, in due time, to investigate the matter of the illegal occupation of a house, That was only inge and upheaval in the whole country, but it was not yet a land without law. When they saw the policemen, the occupants wondered if the fugitive owner had appealed to the government to restore his house. ‘But they did not believe this. Surely, one who had left his home and fled the country in two days would now have other, graver problems to handle. They had no doubt that those others, those who had not ‘come here in time and were now wandering about the town trying vainly to find another house, had informed the police. Bad luck was easier to recognize than to accept. A rightful i but sharing illegal booty was another matter. [jealousy appears to be not only justified, but, in fact, a duty. ‘The occupants were defiant now. “We are poor clerks, but we are the sons of gentlemen. We have moved into the house, but the doors and windows have not been broken; nor have the bricks and stones been torn out to be sold in the black market. We know the law, too. Who has made the complai not in order." Kader began to wail. "Where shall we go? Do you suppose we n't made by the owner, then it's ‘went away and wrote a com= neither-right-nor-wrong report. ‘Their superiors preferred to file it away on a shelf; probably, they20 The Escape and Other Stones of 947 were afraid to try to decipher the they rea the report. Or may-be es, the official rules about in telling wife of the sub-inspector happens to be a re ‘mention it to anyone.” ieved Kader. of course, but it was easy to forgive him, was only an innocent expression of his happy reli “How about a round of tea and sweets?” Overnight, the large house began to bubble with acti ot merely that they had found a place to stay which take away from them. It was as if this open, spacious, truth? The second of mine. But don't their days in the unspea lors’ quarter of Blockman Lane, in the bool ‘khana, among the tobacco merchants of Syed Saheb Lane, or in Kamru Khanshama Lane. In comparison. the vast cooms, the wide windows like those of the indigo traders’ mansions, the enormous yard, and the orchard of mango, jackfruit, and berries in the rear —all these belonged toa different world. True, they didnt have a separate room for each one, they had never enjoyed so much ina damp room steady two-storey wooden house, he had th a leather merchant from Kutch, The ‘Yunus had often had a fever, Sometimes a co seize him in the middle of the ni aeighboushood, Someone h style, the celebration went on for a week. Mi : , talents were discovered. Someone's grandmother's recipe for a special ‘cake tured out to be something inedible, but hearty appreciation ne day the ‘ulsi plant was discovered, growing on a brick platform about a foot high, at the edge of the yard twas a Sunday moming, Modabber was pacing the yard. brushing bis teeth with a neem twig, when he began to shout. He was an excitable man and would raise a frightful uproar over a trifle, But this as aot easy to ignore him, The other men rushed into the yard. "What's the matter?" ‘They were probably expecting to find a snake, so they did not notice the tudsi plant at first. : "You de © You don't see the suis? plant set up in the ritual no Hindu symbols can be tolerated.” ‘They looked at the little plant dej ing at?" Modabber cried. "Haven't | (old you to They all became very quiet, taken aback by this ut discovery. The house had appear22 The Escape and Other Stories of 1947 ificant ‘ulsi plant, caught unaware, had revealed the use. Confronted by this inexplicable silence. Modabber shouted again, “What are you pondering so hard about? Why don't you pull it out by the roots?” Nobody moved. They were not entirely familiar with Hindu customs; but they had heard that in a Hindu home, the mistress of ‘the house lighted a lamp under the aulsi plant at dusk, and, with the ‘end of her sari wrapped around her head, made a pranam, bowing, to touch the earth with her head. Though it was overgrown wi weeds now, someone had lighted a amp every evening under this abandoned tulsi too. When the evening star, solitary and bright, shone in the sky, the touch of crimson paint on the bowed forehead had burned red, like a steady, quiet flame. Tod tress of the house who had fit the lamp wad once been a railway employee. ‘of many railway colonies passed before his eyes. refuge with a relative in a railway lua, or Howrah. Now he seemed to red borders spread to dry in the sun beside ‘huge yard. That sati probably belonged to the mistress of this house. The sari fluttered sadi breeze. But the woman was siting near the window of a moving train, looking out as if she were searching for something in the distance, beyond the horizon. Maybe wherever she was, when the kened in the sky, she would remember the spot ‘under the eulsi plant and her eyes would fill with tears. Yunus had had a cold since the previous day. He said, “Let it stay. We aren't going to worship it useful. The juice ofthe leaf is very good for coughs and colds." Modabber looked at the faces of the other men. Apparently they were all of the same opinion. No one put his hand forth to uproot the tree. Enayet was something of a mouivi; he wore a beard, said his prayers five times a day. and recited the Quran morning. Even he said nothing now. Was he, t00. ‘woman whose eyes filled with tears every evening? The Tale of Tals Plant 23 The fulsi stood untouched; it had escaped their hands. But they a sense of weakness lingered ey had retreated at an argument began ipe out that uncom oral was partitioned because of their wickedness and meanness and fanaticism.” ‘The argument was nothing new. Bu edge to the words today. In support blood became hotter and their breath quickened. ae The recognized radical of the group, Maksud, protested. "Aren't ‘you going too far?" : ‘Modabber's teeth glistened again. "What do you mean, 100 far?" Leftist Maksud was alone now. Perhaps that is why the pendulum of his faith began to move. it shifted doubtfully and finally stopped a Tittle toward the right. A few days jeter, Modabber was surprised when his eyes fell he kitchen. The weeds that had grown under it leaves which had grown brown fark green again, There was no tree. Someone was watering its jously, if not openly. long bamboo rod in his hand. He slashed it (0 chop if off. But the branch passed over the ‘across the plant as plant harmlessly. Nobody, of course, mentioned th was gone the next d Now they began to Yunus's cold24 The Hscoe ond Other Stories of 1987 ‘That day they came straight home from the office and, according ‘o the plans they had made in the morning, began to prepare to cook ‘thichri. Just then they heard the squeak of heavy boots on the outer stairs. Modabber peeped outside and hurried back in. police again,” he whispered. 2 Why the ” Yunus thought that perhaps a from the street had taken shelter in the house and the police were after him. But then Yunus remembered the story of the rabbit: when it found no means of escape before a hunter, it crouched on the ground with closed eyes and thought that no one e thieves? Hadn't they refused to weren't they trying to create here a ves? The leader of the police group was an old-fashioned man. tHe placed his hat under his arm and wiped the sweat off his forehead, ‘which bore the mark of his hat. He looked like a harmless man, The two constables t behind their rifles seemed to be "Whom do you want, please?” The police leader's reply was curt and rasping. “All of you, You have occupied this house illegally.” No one could deny that. They did not protest, but only looked at icemen with mild curiosity leave the house ‘They looked at each other silently. At last Modabber cleared his throat and asked, "Why? Has the owner com a Fat Badruddin of the Accounts Office siretched his neck and looked for the owner b hhad come in from the street . always eayer 10 enjoy the spectacle of someone else's ‘humiliation The Tate ofa Tate Plant 25 “The owner?" The policeman feigned sarcasm, but he did not succeed. ‘One of the occupants laughed too. Was there a glimmer of hope? "Then?" . we gover ‘The two constables lowered their eyes from the pi {n spite of all the light and air, a deep shadow descended upon the house. At first, blood rushed into their heads, and they muttered rebelliously. They wouldn't go avay, they would stay there, lars of the house, or they would move out only in coffins. But their heads cooled before long and a depression feil over them. Where would they go? The next day Modabber brought news that their time had been extended from twenty-four hours to seven days. They sighed with relief, but the shadow remained over them, as dense as before. This time Modabber did not speak about his relationship to the second wife of the police sub-inspector. ‘On the tenth day they all left the house. They had come like a storm and they went away in the same manner. The mementos of their residence —a torn newspaper page, an old piece of rope on which they had hung clothes, cigarette and biri butts, the broken heel of a shoe — lay scattered about the empty house. ‘The tulsi plant on the edge of the yard began to wither again. its leaves were tinged with brown. No one had watered it since the advent of the police. Nor did anyone remember the tearfilled eyes of the mistress of the house. ‘The ‘ulst plant did not know wity it was so, it was for people to understand, ‘Sight ednod fom dn wihars own uaniniee TDG Stzhily edited from the authors own translation, The Bengali original, “Bi Twat ‘ker Kahin.” was anthologized in Dui Teer published by Nawrors Kitshisen, 1964,